March 2013

Welcome to Understanding the World

In this issue we include the abstract of an article on the seven days of creation that was recently posted on the blog Life in the Universe. We also include news articles on ancient settlements found in Israel, on the authorship of the Letter to the Hebrews, on the new pope and on scientific evidence for the origin of the universe.


Does the creation narrative of Genesis 1 support the idea of a young earth? - Dr Willie Mc Loud

In this essay I discuss the three most important views on the creation narrative of Genesis 1. These are the young earth view, the old earth view and the polemical text view. Each of these reflect the context of the community in which these views originated. Each view has a different approach in dealing with the relation between this creation narrative and the current scientific view about the origins of the cosmos. Each view has its own problems. I also develop a new approach which deals with the issues in a different way. The three uses of the word "day" (yom) in Genesis 1-2 are discussed. This essay is the first in a series on the Book of Genesis. (Key words: Answers in Genesis, Genesis 1, Genesis series: part 1, Moses - author of Genesis?, old earth view, origins, polemical text view of Genesis 1, Reasons to Believe, seven days of creation, young earth view.) To read click here: Does the creation narrative of Genesis 1 support the idea of a young earth?


In the news

On some of the earliest settlements in Israel: Evidence of stone age cultic sexual symbols found in Israel

On the authorship of the Letter to the Hebrews: Who wrote the Letter to the Hebrews?


On the new pope: Argentina's Bergoglio elected as new Pope Francis

On scientific evidence for the origin of the universe: A 'Baby Photo' of the Universe


Previous issues of Understanding the World

Abraham en sy God - koop 'n boek!! 

Willie Mc Loud se nuwe boek getiteld Op soek na Abraham en sy God - 'n studie oor die historisiteit van die Genesis-verhale (Griffel, 2012) het onlangs verskyn. Die volledige inhoudsopgawe word vir die eerste maal hier gepos asook 'n uittreksel van 'n resensie wat in TEO verskyn het.  Die stimulerende lekkerlees trant van die boek maak dit ideale leesstof vir 'n vakansie. Dit is 'n goeie geskenk vir familie en vriende wat in die betroubaarheid van die Bybel belangstel.(Sleutelwoorde: Abraham, Adam, antieke wêreldbeskouing, argeologie, Bybelse inspirasie, El-Elyon, El-Sjaddai, Enmerkar, Etana, Genesis, goderaad, Henog, Nimrod, Satan, Sumerië, taleverwarring, toring van Babel).
Om meer te lees klik op Abraham en sy God - koop 'n boek!!


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Understanding the world is a monthly e-letter with abstracts of, and links to, informative articles on a variety of interrelated issues including origins, science, philosophy, faith, archaeology, international affairs (especially the Middle East and the European Union) and eschatology (study of the last events).

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